Proper Discipline
by Snape is Philosophy
Summary: DW's lack of discipline has devastating consequences for the Reads.
1. Chapter 1

"An hour had passed since the social worker dropped Arthur and Kate off at the house of his Aunt Loretta and Uncle Ben. Arthur had been glumly lying on his new bed staring at the ceiling the entire time. He had no energy to do anything but stare. The room - his room now - was nice enough, but it felt like staying at a hotel. This wasn't his house. It wasn't his city. It wasn't his room. He was grateful that Ben and Loretta had taken him and his toddler sister, but Arthur wanted nothing more than his old life back.

He wondered what Buster was doing right now. Arthur hadn't seen him or any of his friends since the fire. Did they even care that he was gone?

 _I hope your happy now, DW_ , Arthur thought bitterly. Her already shaky behavior had progressively deteriorated after she turned five; enough so that she was expelled from kindergarten for causing Tommy Tibble to go deaf, but Arthur still couldn't believe she had literally destroyed their family home just because nobody remembered to record _Mary Moo Cow Visits Italy_ for her. Then again, hadn't it been his parents fault that they let her act that way?

No, he couldn't - wouldn't- think badly of them. Jane and David were good parents - good enough for Arthur at the least. He hoped they would realize their mistakes and see that it wasn't too late for fixing everything. Sure, they would still need to buy a new house, and DW would still be gone, and Grandma Thora...

"Arthur?" a voice called softly. Arthur looked up and saw his cousin Mo had entered the room. She was holding some kind of game board.

"Mo?" Arthur said.

"Do you want to play _Monopoly_?" Mo asked.

"Okay," Arthur said half-heartedly.

Mo frowned at the lackluster response. She couldn't imagine what Arthur was going through - his house destroyed, his sister institutionalized, his grandmother dead, his parents declared unfit guardians, and sent to live miles away with relatives he barely knew hundreds of miles away. Should she say something? Would that make things worse?

"Well, I'll set up the board. Which piece do you want?"

"The car."

Mo handed Arthur the car while she selected the wheelbarrow. "I'll roll first," Mo said and picked up the dice. She rolled a six. Just as she was about to move her piece a loud wail could be heard from the other room.

"Uh oh," Mo said, "looks like Kate woke up."

Kate had been asleep when she and Arthur had arrived at Loretta's house. Arthur noticed Kate's cries had been much louder since the fire. Could she remember?

"It's your turn, Arthur," Mo called out as she handed him the dice. Arthur rolled two fives.

"Doubles. You get to roll again!"

Arthur rolled again. Two fours.

"Your good at rolling doubles, Arthur!"

"Mo?"

"Yes?

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything."

Arthur opened mouth but found himself unable to speak. He had many questions, and he knew Mo wouldn't have most of the answers. But eventually managed to find one that she might shed some light on.

"Do you honestly think DW will ever be better?"

Mo froze. "I don't know, Arthur. But if I had to take a guess I would say no."

In the other room, Loretta had managed to calm down Kate. Kate wished Pal were still here so she had somebody to talk with - but Pal was allergic to the pollen in this town so had to be adopted by the Tibble's.

* * *

 _Four months earlier_

 _"...and, David," Nora Johnson, the Read's marriage counselor said, "what do you believe is the root of the problem in your relationship?"_

 _"Jane's refusal to discipline DW under any circumstances."_

 _"That isn't true! I denied her TV for a day when she knocked Kate off her chair."_

 _David rolled his eyes. "A whole day. That's some real laying down the line."_

 _Jane scowled. "The problem is your biased against DW!"_

 _"_ Biased against DW _? I've been trying to help DW by raising her with a sense of right and wrong but you wouldn't let me! I'll admit I was too soft on her for a long time, but I tried eventually. Jane doesn't even pretend to discipline anymore! She got expelled from school for permanently destroying Tommy Tibble's hearing for goodness sake!"_

 _"She wouldn't have become this way if you had been more generous towards her!" Jane argued._

 _David looked shocked. "Are you for real, Jane? You think the problem is we haven't given DW enough? She got everything she wanted and more!"_

 _"Nonsense. Did we take her to Ponyland like she wanted? No, because we couldn't afford it.""_

 _"If I may," Nora interrupted, "this conversation is getting off track. Let's get down to business. From what I've heard in the past forty-five minutes, this marriage is likely going to be very difficult to maintain. Besides some lingering issues you should have addressed before you even considered marriage, y_ _our views on how to raise your daughter appears irreconcilable. Strong relationships have collapsed over less important issues."_

 _"I'm here to help my family," Jane said, "I don't my children to be a victim of divorce."_

 _David shook his head in agreement. "Me neither."_

 _Nora bit her lip upon hearing that. Whenever she heard clients talk of of staying married for the kids it meant whatever love had ever existed in the relationship had evaporated. That was clearly the case with these two, who hadn't even used the word "love" once in the session. Usually even the hopeless clients would speak of a time that had once loved each other, but not these two. She pitied Arthur, DW, and Kate for the position inevitable collapse of the Read's marriage would put them in. Jane's delusion about permissive parenting toward a problem child guaranteed the destruction of this family._

 _No, the Reads were by far the most hopeless case she had ever seen. Counseling was pointless - she could have sessions with them for a year at the most until they realized this. But Nora needed to make a living, and even the checks of the doomed made a difference, so she pulled out her schedule and asked "same time next Wednesday?"_


	2. Chapter 2

"TOMMY CAN YOU HEAR NOW?" Timmy Tibble screamed from behind his brother Tommy, who was reading a picture book about fire stations. Pal leaped in fear while Mrs. Tibble dropped her checkbook and ran to see what was going on. Tommy, however, didn't even look up and calmly turned the page.

"Timmy, what on earth are you doing?"

"I thought if I screamed loud enough Tommy might hear again," Timmy answered, "was I not loud enough?"

"I'm afraid, Timmy, that while loud noise can remove you hearing, it can not return it to you," Mrs. Tibble explained.

"Oh," Timmy muttered in disappointment.

"Now please don't disturb me. Someone stole my identity recently and I'm going over my purchases just to be safe."

Timmy was confused. "Stole your identity?"

"It means that somebody found out my credit card number and has been using it to buy things so I get left with the bill instead of them."

"Oh. That's really bad."

"Yes, it is."

"Do they know who did it?"

Mrs. Tibble sighed. "No, they don't. The worst thing about identity theft is often times they are never caught. Anyway, why don't you take Pal out to the backyard?"

"Okay."

Mrs. Tibble exited the living room while Timmy walked over to Pal. "Come on, Pal, let's play with the tennis ball outside."

Pal leaped up in excitement and followed Timmy outside. He was always up for a game of catch.

Timmy looked at the ball and frowned. The ball had been a birthday present for Tommy from Grandpa Tibble before he died. Tommy would probably want to play if he could but Timmy couldn't ask him. A lady was teaching Tommy sign language, and offered to help Timmy learn as well, but Timmy found it very hard to learn.

"I _hate_ DW," he muttered angrily.

Pal froze at the name of his old owner and stared down sadly. How could DW have destroyed the Read family like that? Was she sorry now it was too late?

 _Pal thought back to the thick, dark smoke that surrounded him as he just barely managed to pull Kate from the flames engulfing the Read's house. He reached the backyard and saw Jane's expression turn from horror to relief as she went to grab Kate. "Oh, Pal, thank you so much," Jane cried as she grabbed Kate. The year-old girl was as horrified over what was unfolding as her mother. Jane said something calming to Kate Pal couldn't decipher._

 _Pal looked back and his heart sank. The other Reads needed to get out soon._

"Pal? Why aren't you getting the ball?"

Pal was jolted from his flashback and saw Timmy stare in disappointment. Pal turned and saw that Timmy had thrown the ball across the yard. Pal ran to it and brought it back to Timmy, who threw the ball again.

* * *

 _Five months earlier_

 _Arthur looked toward the living room with disgust. DW was watching_ Mary Moo Cow. _Jane had informed Arthur that DW was allowed to watch television all day so she could get over the pain of being expelled from school. Jane believed that the school had been to hard on DW, who was a victim as much as Tommy Tibble. Tommy had apparently been standing near a speaker when DW tripped and accidentally raised the volume to the maximum level._

 _David's reporting of events, however, was from different from what Jane had said. According to him, DW had deliberately walked up to a stereo machine and intentionally blared it to the maximum level after intensely arguing with a teacher. A girl in class named Lisa had been witnessed the event, but Jane felt she wasn't a credible witness after the birthday party incident last year._

 _Arthur tended to believe his father's version was probably the correct one. Coincidentally, Arthur felt sick just as DW got picked so he was brought home as well. David had made it clear in the car he was about to give her a talking down for perhaps the first time Arthur could remember when they got home. But when they reached the house Jane intervened, and argued DW was innocent. They fought until David roared in impatience that he gave up, then locked himself in the garage. He had yet to come out two hours later._

 _"Don't just stand around, Arthur, make me a peanut butter sandwich, I've been hungry forever" DW barked. Mary Moo Cow had gone to commercial and she was hungry._

 _"You could have eaten lunch if you hadn't been expelled from school," Arthur noted._

 _DW rolled her eyes. "Yesterday's news, Artie. Now go make me one or I'll tell Mom on you. And I want potato chips with it."_

 _"_ Artie _?" Arthur repeated the word with great distaste. Nonetheless, he decided it would be better to just appease her demands and then waltz to his room as quickly as possible._

 _Arthur walked into the kitchen and sighed. He had only one rule for a peanut butter sandwich - smooth peanut butter. DW, however, was ridiculously picky. First she always one piece of bread having smooth and the other having chunky. Arthur had pointed out once that they would mix together anyway but she said he was insane. She also insisted on no crust, triangular shapes, and only would eat a specific brand of white bread. She also demanded that the triangles be stacked on top of her chips for some strange reason. And, finally, DW demanded that her chips be slightly microwaved for about twenty seconds before they were served, claiming they were uneatable otherwise._

 _Arthur was relived that to see they still had her favorite bread. He grabbed a plate from the cabinet and put two pieces of break on it, then pulled out a knife for the peanut butter. He then walked over to the refrigerator to grab peanut butter when Jane walked in._

 _"Arthur? Are you eating right now? We're going to have dinner shortly," Jane looked with distaste, "really, Arthur, gluttony and obesity may be trendy these days, but it isn't something I'll stand for."_

 _"No, this isn't mine," Arthur protested, "DW told me she was hungry and said I should make a sandwich."_

 _Jane looked skeptical. "Did she?"_

 _"Ask her yourself!"_

 _"That's a great idea," Jane said appreciatively and marched with Arthur into the living room. "DW? Did you ask Arthur to make you a sandwich?"_

 _"No, Mommy. I'm not hungry"._

 _Jane turned to Arthur. "Arthur, I'm extremely disappointed in you. Didn't we already establish the importance of exercise and good diet back when you wanted to be in that play? No wonder you've been looking fat recently._ _And blaming your sister after she had a bad day is all the worse!"_

 _"A bad day?" Arthur repeated, "she ruined Tommy Tibble's life!"_

 _"Nonsense. Plenty of deaf people live successful lives. It seems not only do we need to talk about overeating but also about respect for the disabled."_

 _Arthur head was exploding right now. He could say many things right now - that DW was lying, that he already was tolerant of the disabled, that he didn't like being called fat, that DW shouldn't be watching TV after being expelled - but he knew it was pointless. He tried to mask his anger._

 _"Why are you looking at me like that, Arthur? Your not grounded, just don't snack and be nicer to your sister. Now go put that bread away while I feed Kate."_

 _Jane walked upstairs leaving a humiliated Arthur to stare at the ground._

 _DW rolled her eyes. "Thanks for not getting me my sandwich, Artie."_


	3. Chapter 3

Buster was back home after spending the last week with his father. They had visited Miami together, and Buster had lots of fun in the exotic city. As he rode his mother's car to Lakewood Elementary Buster couldn't wait to tell Arthur about the adventure he had - not to mention show off all the great film he captured. He had tried calling Arthur a few times, but the Read's phone number was disconnected for some reason. Buster wondered if DW had broke the line - she had been getting worse last time he spoke with Arthur.

"I can't wait to show Arthur all the fun I had."

""I'm sure Arthur will be excited to learn all about Miami," Bitzi responded, her stomach sinking at the lie she was telling. She knew she should have told Buster what had happened with the Reads, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"It's too bad the airport wouldn't let us take those oranges on flight," Buster said, "but at least I got a T-shirt."

"Yes, that's looking on the bright side," Bitzi said nervously.

They had finally reached Lakewood Elementary. Bitzi pulled up onto the school's driveway.

"Well, hear we are," Bitzi announced. She knew she should tell him the truth before others did.

"Okay," Buster said as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Bye, Mom. Have a good day at work."

"Bye, Buster. Have a good day at school."

Buster closed the car door. Bitzi stared at her reflection in the rearview window with contempt. _Your pathetic_ , she thought to herself. She knew she should have told him when she could instead of keep him in the dark as long as possible.

Buster walked into Mr. Ratburn's classroom. All but one student was present.

"Where's Arthur?" Buster asked.

"You mean nobody _told_ you?" Francine asked in shock.

"Tell me what?" Buster asked.

"DW burned the Read's house down," Muffy answered, "she was angry that nobody recorded a special episode of Mary Moo Cow."

"What? Nah, that's crazy," Buster shook his head, "she isn't _that_ bratty."

"Oh, yes, she is," George said, "I was practicing my pogo stick a block from Arthur's house when I smelled the smoke. I walked over and I saw his house was now a pile of ash while the cops actually arrested DW. The whole town is still buzzing about it."

"How would DW start a massive house fire?" Buster asked skeptically.

"Well, the media reported that she threw a flammable item in the Read's oven and set the temperature at the maximum," Brain explained, "did you try calling Arthur while you away?"

"Sure. The line was disconnected."

"Of course it was, the house isn't there anymore," Muffy replied.

Buster's shook his head in disagreement but had no words. It just couldn't be true. DW was a problem child, yes, but actually destroying her own home over something so pointless? The Reads were a good family - he wished his family was still together. They didn't deserve something like that. And if she did what happened to Arthur and the Reads?

"Was anybody hurt in the fire?"

"Yes, but not Arthur."

Buster wondered if he should ask "who?" when Mr. Ratburn walked in. "Good morning class."

"Mr. Ratburn, is it true that Arthur's house was burned down by DW?"

Mr. Ratburn grimaced. "Why, yes Buster, I'm afraid that she did indeed."

Buster felt a chill down his spine. "Where is Arthur now?"

"I don't really know to be perfectly honest," Mr. Ratburn stretched his head, "Child Protective Services took him and Kate somewhere. The only Read still in Elwood City is DW, who is in the city's mental institution. His parents left town separately."

Buster's voice cracked. "So I'm never going to see him again?"

The rest of the class exchanged looks. The idea of Arthur and Buster being permanently separated seemed unbelievably cruel.

"Well, never say never," Mr. Ratburn coughed awkwardly, "anyway, lets start our lesson for today..."

* * *

 _One month earlier_

 _Nora clicked her pen. "So, how has DW been recently?"_

 _"Relatively good," Jane answered._

 _David frowned. "Given her behavior last week that's not saying much."_

 _"Well, we have to start somewhere positive."_

 _"I suppose," David muttered half-heartedly._

 _"Jane, do you remember our discussion about setting boundaries for DW?" Nora asked._

 _Jane nodded. "I made it clear that it wasn't acceptable to leave the fridge open."_

 _"And how did you set that boundary?"_

 _"We have a conversation about it and I urged her not to do it again"_

 _David gave a snicker._

 _Jane glared daggers at him. "Oh? So tell me, Mr. Culinary Expert, what would you have done instead?"_

 _"Well_ _," David answered, "I would have either punished her or made it clear a punishment would happen if she left it open again."_

 _"I told her there would be serious consequences if I caught her doing this again."_

 _"Okay, did you lay out what consequences would occur?"_

 _Jane blushed. "That wasn't necessary."_

 _"Yes it was," David argued, "you use the word 'consequence' so frequently it means nothing anymore."_

 _"Well, she closed the fridge after I said it. So I clearly did something right."_

 _"Maybe," David said in obvious disbelief._

 _Nora cleared her throat. "Have you two ever thought that perhaps DW should see a mental health counselor?"_

 _"Are you implying that my daughter has psychological issues?" a visibly enraged Jane asked._

 _Nora was taken aback by the severity of Jane's response. "There's nothing wrong with having mental health problems, Jane. A very large percentage of the population does. I doesn't reflect on who you are"_

 _"I know that," Jane snapped._

 _"Well, then why not explore the possibility?" Nora responded, "I know a good therapist who specializes with children."_

 _"No thank you."_

 _"Jane, we should consider the possibility."_

 _"No, David. Her problems aren't that bad."_

* * *

After two hours of a surprisingly competitive game, Arthur beat Mo at Monopoly after she bankrupted when landing on his hotel at Boardwalk. Mo had to do homework, and upon returning found Arthur had dozed off on his new bed. Mo went downstairs.

"How is Arthur?" asked Loretta upon looking up from her magazine and noticing her daughter.

"I don't know. Okay, I suppose. He asked me if I thought DW would ever be a better person."

"And what did you say?"

"I answered honestly that I had no idea," Mo responded.

Loretta sighed.

"Should I have lied?"

Loretta shook her head. "No, you shouldn't have lied. But I don't think Arthur fully realizes how permanent the changes in his life have become. He's pretty much starting all over again. He'll be even more distraught when this fully hits him."

Mo bit her lip. "When do you think that will be?"

"I don't know. But I suspect he's more likely to confide in you than any of us, so tell me if anything's wrong."

"Of course," Mo promised.

Loretta nodded and returned to her magazine.

"Do _you_ think DW ever will change?" Mo asked suddenly.

Loretta was surprised by the question, frowning as she entered deep thought. "I think DW has hit rock bottom at an age where she can't lift herself up. She's going to need years of psychiatric treatment. I can't imagine how difficult that is going to be for a girl of just age six."

"Is that a yes or a no?" Mo asked bluntly.

"It's not that simple. DW is going to have her life changed the worst of all the Reads and not only because of institutionalization. If she does indeed develop more empathy with time, she'll have to live with lifelong guilt over her terrible actions. That kind of moral responsibility can crush souls."

Mo reflected on her mother's somber words. She had been so focused on thinking of the effects on Arthur she barely considered what kind of life DW might end up having after this disaster. Mo couldn't help but feel a wave of unexpected sympathy for her bratty cousin.

"Either way, I think discussion of DW is probably best avoided around Arthur and keep at the minimum when unavoidable."

Mo nodded her head. "Agreed."


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur awoke and blinked in confusion for a few seconds at the sight of the ceiling of his new room before remembering he was at Mo's house. It had been a while since the fire yet he still wasn't used to his room being gone. How long had he been asleep? There was sunlight being blocked by the curtain so it was apparently daytime. There was no clock in the room, so Arthur decided to go in the living room and check the time.

Mo was in the kitchen making a blackberry smoothie while alternative music played from the radio.

"Good morning, Arthur," Mo said,.

"It's morning?" Arthur asked in confusion.

Mo nodded. "Yeah. You were out for a long while."

"Where's everybody?" Arthur asked.

"Kate is upstairs asleep. Mom and Dad are out getting some paperwork."

"Oh."

"Here, have some smoothie," Mo pulled a glass from the top shelf and filling it halfway with the concoction before handing it to Arthur. Arthur grabbed the glass and took a small taste and found he liked it.

"Paperwork for what?"

"To enroll you into school."

"Oh, I hadn't even thought about that," Arthur said truthfully. He frowned and a knot formed in his stomach. He wasn't all that excited about having to meet so many new people.

"Don't worry, we have a good school here," Mo said.

"Mmm."

"Do you want to check out the town park when Kate wakes up?" Mo asked.

"Okay."

* * *

Jane half-heartedly swung herself on the swing at the playground where she had always played as a young girl. She was back on her father's farm where she had grown up. Jane sighed as she stared at empty land where family farms had once been. The town's once numerous farms had mostly bankrupted over several decades and her family's was the last one standing. According to her father, Dave, a oil company wanted to frack the area and was heavily pushing he sell the land over. He added that if sales didn't pick up in two years he would have no choice but accept the offer.

"Jane?" Dave walked over, "it's nearly dinner. Let's get back."

"Okay," Jane said glumly.

They trudged along the dirt road in silence until they finally reached the farmhouse. They entered through the backdoor and entered the kitchen. Once Jane was seated at the table, Dave asked "so how is Arthur and Kate?"

"I don't know. I'm not allowed to contact them for three years. Three years! Kate won't even remember me by then."

"And Arthur is with Loretta, correct?"

"Yeah."

"And DW?"

"She's in the mental hospital back in Elwood City. My no-contact order extends to her as well."

"Ah. Well, I hope they're all right."

"Well, you can talk to them at least," Jane pointed out.

"Do you know where Loretta lives?"

Jane flickered in annoyance. "No, I could never remember that address."

"Oh."

"It was saved on my computer, but that was destroyed in ... well ..." Jane did not want to say the word "fire" unless forced.

"If you mind me asking ... have you spoken to David recently?"

Jane bit her lip at the mere mention of _that_ man. "No. When the court removed our guardianship we parted ways. He said he was going to his uncle's house but I'm not sure which one he meant."

"What are you going to do next?"

Jane's eyes dropped to the floor miserably. "I don't know anymore."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Dave said unconvincingly.

"Sure."

"In any case," Dave grabbed a bowl from the counter, "it corn on the cob time."

* * *

 _Jane sighed. She couldn't believe DW was so angry over an episode of Mary Moo Cow. David stood with a knowing expression._

 _"Go ahead," Jane barked, "Say it."_

 _"I didn't say anything," David responded._

 _Jane rolled her eyes._

 _"I'm going to work in the garage," David announced._

 _"Have fun," Jane said without meaning it whatsoever._

 _Jane picked up a magazine and became engrossed in an article on saving for luxury vacations. For a second she thought she heard footsteps stomping in and out of the kitchen, but figured it was her imagination. After a few minutes of Jane dozed off._

 _A half-hour later, Jane woke up at the smell of smoke. She jumped off the couch in terror and saw a hot flame burning the kitchen door with a cloud of smoke surrounding it. Jane fled for the backdoor as quickly as she could, and looked back at the house in horror. From what she could see, the fire had not only burned the entire kitchen but had even spread upstairs._

 _An odd noise emerged. Jane felt numb as she registered the scream was actually from Arthur on the second floor. Jane tried to call out but her voice was hoarse. Jane heard another yell and realized it was Thora._

 _How could a fire have started? Was it the gasline? The oven? Something else?_

 _Jane saw something moving in the corner of her eye, and her heart leaped as she realized it was Pal carrying Kate out of the fire._

 _"Oh, Pal, thank you so much," she said when the canine had successfully brought her daughter to her. Kate was bawling and Jane tried to rock her and mutter words of comfort._

 _The fire was only getting stronger. The house would collapse at this rate._

 _The back door opened and DW walked out._

 _"DW!" Jane cried in relief. But she immediately felt something was odd in how slowly and calmly DW walked over. As she came closer into view, Jane saw a triumphant, smug smirk on her daughter's face._

 _ **No**._

 _ **No**._

 _ **No. It can't be. It just can't**._

 _Jane couldn't breathe. She put Kate on the ground gently and began feeling faint. No, she was dreaming. She had to still be asleep on the sofa._

 _"You should have recorded Mary Moo Cow," DW said._

 _Jane fell on the grass and lost consciousness._


	5. Chapter 5

David frowned as he sat in the waiting room of the funeral home. This was his firsttime in Elwood City since the fire. It was a surprisingly posh building given the nature of the industry in question. It sent a chill down his spine. Then again, would a decaying center make him feel any better?

A man walked out and smiled. "Hello. I'm Victor. Welcome to the Elwood City Funeral Home. David, right?"

"Yes."

"Excellent. Well, come on into my office,"

David walked into the well-light office and took a seat.

"You told our receptionist you were confused about your circumstances?"

David felt a pit in his throat, but nonetheless managed to force out words. "Well yes. You see, my mother... did you hear of that huge house fire on Main Street?"

"Yes, I did."

"Well, that was my house," David explained.

Victor's face frowned. "I am terribly sorry for you loss."

"Yes. Well, you see, she didn't make it out..." David's left hand shook slightly. "She was found but badly burned. I know she wanted to be buried, but the fire department recommend we cremate her. I don't know what to do."

"Well, that's a very personal decision," Victor responded. "And not a question with a right or wrong answer. Have you spoken with your family about this?"

"I asked my sister, Loretta, but she it was my choice to make," David explained. "There's really nobody else to ask. All my other relatives are on my late father's side."

"Well, David, I'm afraid only you can ultimately make that choice," Victor said. "We can discuss how both processes would work, however..."

* * *

Buster sat glumly at the kitchen table. Bitzi emerged from the pantry with pasta sauce and some Rigatoni noodles for dinner.

"Mom," Buster asked. "Did you know about Arthur's house fire but not tell me."

Bitzi bit her lip. "Yes, Buster. I knew."

"How could you not tell me?" Buster asked.

"You were so happy about Miami," Bitzi explained. "I didn't want to ruin that."

"But Mom, I shouldn't have happy when my friend's house burned down."

"Perhaps not," Bitzi admitted. "I'm sorry, Buster. I should have told you."

"Where is he now?"

"Well, I don't really know. The courts sent him and his other sister Kate to some relative."

"And Arthur's parents left town separately?" Buster inquired.

"That's the rumor. I suspect this may be the end of their marriage."

Buster wondered if Arthur even knew his parents were likely divorcing. Probably not.

"Why don't you cut the garlic bread so we can have it with dinner," Bitzi suggested.

"Okay." Buster agreed.

Buster walked over to grab a knife then pulled out a giant plate to put the bread on. He cut the bread into what he hoped would be even pieces, though when he finished he realized some were bigger than others.

"You did a very good job, Buster." Bitzi said.

"They aren't equal pieces."

Bitzi waved her hand. "Oh, that doesn't really matter."

The phone unexpectedly rang. Bitzi picked it up. "Hello? Why hello, it's nice to hear from you! Yes, I'll get him," Bitzi handed Buster the phone, "Buster, it's Arthur!"

"Arthur?" Buster said in confusion, then held the phone his ear. "Hello, Arthur?"

"Buster! Hi!"

"Arthur, where are you?" Buster said bluntly.

"I'm at my cousin Mo's house. Remember her?"

"Barely, but yeah. Is that were you live now?"

"Yep," Arthur responded, "Kate's here too. We went to the park today and saw my new school."

"Oh," Buster didn't even try to mask his disappointment, "Sounds like your having fun."

"Not really. I'd rather be back in Elwood City."

This cheered Buster up a bit. "You remembered my phone number?"

"Sure, I've dialed it so many times. I'm getting a new computer so I can e-mail you."

"That would be great, Arthur!" Buster said.

"I have to get going now, Arthur said, "Mo's about to play some grunge music and it'll be hard to talk without being distracted."

"Oh. Well, thanks for calling Arthur. Bye."

"Bye, Buster. I'll talk to you soon." The line went dead and a dial tone soon emerged.

"That was a short call," Buster said in disappointment.

"Well, at least he remembered you number at all," Bitzi pointed out, "those details can be easily forgotten after tragedy."

"Yeah, that's true," Buster admitted. "I'm glad he called."

* * *

 _Two months earlier._

 _DW was starting to get bored of staying home every day. She missed going to school. After she deafened Tommy, none of the other kids parents wouldn't let her former classmates go to DW's house anymore._

 _Nadine watched DW. "Bored?"_

 _"That Artie forced me to get expelled."_

 _Nadine shook her head. "DW, you got yourself expelled by making Tommy go deaf."_

 _"I only did that because he deserved it," DW protested, "for what he did."_

 _Nadine raised her eyebrow. "Oh, really? What did he do that day?"_

 _"Well, uh... nothing on_ that _day. But for the other time!"_

 _"DW, you need to start behaving yourself. You can keep going like this."_

 _"Of course I can," DW boasted, "Daddy's been acting lame lately, but Mommy still let's me do what I want."_

 _"Just because you haven't in real trouble yet doesn't mean you won't eventually."_

 _"Ha! We'll see about that!"_

 _DW decided run kitchen and get a cookie without permission. Nadine sighed._


	6. Chapter 6

Dr. Paula sighed as she finished writing her casefile. She had been properly warned before taking this job that mental institutions were far harsher than basic child psychology, but nothing could have prepared her for seeing it herself. She hadn't even known so many people in Elwood City under the age of eighteen were declared insane. Each case seemed a bit stranger than the last, but she at least knew they were good kids who just needed a lot of help.

Not this girl that burned her house down, though. Unrepentant and entitled, Dr. Paula had never seen anything like her. Frankly just _talking_ to this Read girl sent chills down her spine.

"Dr. Paula?" Mr. Larsen, the director of the Elwood City State Hospital, walked into her office.

"Hello, Mr. Larsen," Dr. Paula greeted. "How may I help you?"

"I just came to see if you had finished your diagnosis of Miss Read?"

"I have," Dr. Paula responded, handing him the file. "While I feel we need more tests to fully grasp Ms. Read's full mental state, judging by interviews with her nurses and my discussion with her she clearly meets all the DSM symptoms for Narcissistic Personality Disorder or NPD."

"Narcissistic Personality Disorder?" Mr. Larsen repeated as he glanced at the file.

Dr. Paula nodded. "It's a clear case, even when taking into account the complexity of diagnosing children. Miss Read fits both all nine major symptoms and associated minor features. She also meets several traits of histrionic personality disorder but the correlation with narcissism is stronger."

"I'm afraid it's been some time since I read about narcissism," Mr. Larsen responded. "What is the treatment?"

"There is no known medical cure for NPD at the present. The main treatment is generally psychotherapy to promote empathy, often through group therapy."

"How did Miss Read address the fire in your interview with her?" Mr. Larsen asked.

"She deflected the subject every time it was mentioned." Dr. Paula responded.

* * *

"Buster was so sad yesterday," Muffy reported at the dinner table. "Nobody had told him about the fire."

"That's a shame," Millicent responded.

"I knew that lazy Jane was parenting wrong," Ed voiced, "that DW was always bratty whenever I asked her to do my taxes."

"Yeah, same thing whenever I saw Arthur," Muffy said.

"I wonder what she and David are doing know?" Ed asked to nobody in particular.

Muffy shrugged. "Francine heard a rumor Mrs. Read went to her Dad's farm. But rumors aren't always true.'

"Wise words indeed, Muffy," Millicent responded. "I recall back when-"

The phone interrupted Millicent. Millicent walked up and answered. "Hello? Yes. Oh, why not? Mr. Ratburn? No that's crazy... _he did_? _Mr. Ratburn_? I can't believe it! It doesn't sound like him at all!"

"What's going on?" Ed inquired.

"Mr. Ratburn has been arrested!" Millicent answered. "He stole old Mrs. Tibble's credit card number!"

" _What_?" Muffy uttered in disbelief.

* * *

David laid on his uncle's sofa lazily as he watched yet another infomercial. David had learned earlier about the benefits of buying a hot tub and was now seeing a program for a pan that apparently was so unbreakable you could over with your car without causing a scratch.

It figured that Jane hadn't remembered that his uncle had died a month ago and left his house in equal shares to him, Loretta, and Bonnie. He had been in discussion with his sisters about whether to sell the house when D.W. burned _his_ house down. Oh, well, for the time being this would be his new house.

What was David to do with his life now? He wasn't sure. He had enough money in his savings account that he could hide in his uncle's house watching infomercials and ordering delivery Chinese/pizza/sandwiches for another two months or so. After that? David had some passing thoughts about maybe going back to culinary school or restarting his catering business someplace else, but it seemed so pointless. David wasn't ready to restart his life at only forty-two years of age. Particularly when it had been going well. Well, _mostly well_.

Jane? She was at her Dad's farm. Would he contact her? Probably not. What would he possibly say?

Arthur and Kate. Just thinking them made David's stomach turn with guilt. He wasn't allowed contact with them for three more years. Did Arthur hate him for what happened? He hoped not. And Kate wouldn't even remember him. What kind of things would Arthur tell Kate about him if she asked? At least he knew Loretta and Ben would be good adoptive parents.

 _Better than_ _us at least_ , he thought bitterly.

D.W _._

He knew, even if he wasn't ready to admit in in words, her actions were as much his fault as Jane's. Sure, his wife never disciplined his daughter, but neither had he until the very end. And by then it was too late. He only toughened up when she had already become broken.

* * *

 _"DW, I will not tolerate any more of this foolishness," her teacher snapped in a tone of venom. "No go play nicely."_

 _"Make me, honey." DW sneered._

 _The kindergarten teacher took every bit of will power she was cable of not to swear at the brat. DW was the worst child she had ever taught by far._

 _"Go to your seat, DW."_

 _"No way."_

 _"Fine, I'll just ignore you for the rest of the day," she responded coolly._

 _"Oh, yeah?" DW asked. No response. "OH YEAH?" she repeated much louder._

 _The teacher didn't look up from her paperwork._

 _DW stomped away furiously. She thought it would that easy to ignore Dora Winifred Read? HA! She'd show her. But how?_

 _DW suddenly noticed music was playing quietly from the stereo that connecting to the radio. Perfect! She'd crack the volume up to the max._

 _DW walked over to the boom box. "Think you can ignore Dora Winifred Read? Think again!"_

 _DW turned the far as far as she could. The once peaceful music now exploded throughout the room_

 _"DW turn that down!" the teacher roared. as she ran over to the radio. DW complied._

 _"So much for ignoring me," DW said smugly._

 _A loud cry from the other side of the room turned everyone's attention away from them. It was Tommy Tibble sobbing loudly._

 _"I can't hear anything," he cried, "The music made me deaf!"_

 _"Oh, my," the teacher said, "we need to get him to the nurse. He may need to be hospitalized. Shame on you, DW."_

 _"It wasn't my fault," DW insisted, determined to avoid looking at Timmy, who was staring daggers at her. "I tripped."_

 _"She did not trip," Lisa piped up, "She did it on purpose. She even yelled about it."_

 _"Lisa's lying because she's out to get me!" DW argued, "she didn't even invite me to her birthday party."_

 _"Will you stop talking about that all the time?" Lisa asked, "and I invited you to by fifth birthday party the next year and you were a total brat at the party!"_

 _"Was not! I'm a well-behaved girl."_

 _Everyone in the class began laughing except Timmy, who still looked enraged; Tommy, who was still sobbing; and Emily, who shook her head in disapproval._

 _"DW, once I take Tommy to the nurse I'm taking you the principal's office!"_

 _"That's not fair!" DW whined._


	7. Chapter 7

Mr. Ratburn stared glumly at the dark gray wall and tried not to dwell on how uncomfortable the chains cuff that stranded him in the dark room were. He had been in the interrogation room for what he felt must have been at least two hours. Or maybe it was only several minutes. Who knew? Time was irrelevant at this point. There was no way that he would see much outside this building again.

"Nigel Ratburn?" The officer who had arrested him earlier walked in. "Are you ready to talk?"

"Yes, I'll admit all my crimes" Mr. Ratburn answered quickly.

"What crimes have you committed?" The officer asked eagerly, as he turned on a machine that Mr. Ratburn assumed was recording the conversation.

"I stole the identity of old Ms. Tibble for the purpose of using her credit card. I used it to buy a luxury yacht."

"That tip we got didn't mention all yacht," The officer muttered distractedly.

"Tip?" Mr. Ratburn asked in confusion.

"Some woman anonymously called in."

Mr. Ratburn's face turned red as anger shone through his eyes. "So she betrayed me. Of course she did."

"Who betrayed you?"

"I was only going to confess to the identity theft," Mr. Ratburn said harshly, "but since she sold me down the river I'll have nothing to hide. I also successfully embezzled money from eight different banks and two credit unions in town with my business partner. I used the money to buy false identities, illegal firearms, and an offshore account in the Cayman Islands."

The officers eyebrows rose in shock. "What?"

"And I'm guilty of attempted murder," Mr. Ratburn finished.

"Muder? Who were you attempting to murder?"

"Ed Crosswire."

The officer' head was spinning. "Why would you murder him?"

"Because my business partner begged me."

"And who _is_ your business partner?"

Mr. Ratburn smiled darkly. "My lover. Millicent Crosswire."

* * *

Dr. Paula was supposed to but reviewing her notes on DW Read but instead she was dwelling on her life choices. This Read girl was making her wonder if she had made a mistake in career choice. She worried about her old clients and wondered if the counselors she referred them to were giving them proper care. She missed going to bed without nightmares of asylums and inmates in her head. But most of all she missed the idea that anyone could be cured with the proper care.

Could this Read girl truly be cured?

"Do you still want to attempt group therapy for D.W. Read?"

She had almost forgotten that Mr. Larsen was in the room.

"It's our best chance of curing her narcissism," Dr. Paula said. "I've found a specialist who has dealt extensively with group narcissism and she'll be coming by tomorrow."

"Hopefully D.W. will be cooperative," Mr. Larsen said.

"I suspect she'll be very _uncooperative_ initially," Dr. Paula responded, "but after a few sessions that may change."

"Hmm." Mr. Larsen's tone was drenched in skepticism.

"I simply can't accept otherwise," Dr. Paula insisted. "I vow to cure all my patients as best I can and I can't make exceptions for hard cases."

"I admire your commitment, Dr. Paula. I just hope it isn't for naught."

* * *

 _The Crazy Bus theme had played... how many times now? Arthur had lost count at eighty-five at that was hours ago._

 _"D.W. quit it!" Arthur said._

 _"NO!"_

 _Arthur growled. "That's it."_

 _Arthur grabbed the CD out of DW's boom box and ran. "Try and get it back, D.W.!"_

 _"ARTHUR TIMOTHY READ GET BACK HEAR **RIGHT NOW**!" D.W. roared as she chased him into the kitchen. As Arthur ran toward the back door D.W. grabbed a wine glass from the table and threw it at Arthur, but it missed and smashed against the cabinet._

 _"You've gone crazy," Arthur called back as he exited the house._

 _"THINK YOU'VE SEEN CRAZY? THINK AGAIN!" D.W. roared back._

 _Arthur ran across the street._

 _"THINK I WON'T CROSS THE STREET?"_

 _"D.W., you can't without an adult nearby," Nadine reminded her. "Just go inside and tell your parents what happened when they get back."_

 _"He'll pay," DW muttered, "he'll pay."_

 _DW stood outside and waited for Arthur return nearly an hour until David noticed her. "DW? What are you doing outside?"_

 _"I'm waiting for Arthur," she responded disdainfully._

 _"Arthur? He's inside."_

 _"WHAT?" DW ran inside and saw Arthur on the couch watching television._

 _"Where's my CD?" DW asked fiercely._

 _"Wherever you usually leave it," Arthur responded calmly._

 _"Oh yeah?" DW said as she opened the boom box, "we'll see about -"_

 _DW was astonished to find the CD where it had been before. "Dad, Arthur ran across the street with it! I waited for him"_

 _"I don't know what your talking about," Arthur said._

 _"Enough of this. Anyway, do either of you know why I found a broken wine glass on the floor?"_

 _"No," DW lied, "not a clue."_

 _"Well, I need to go make desert for night- Parmesan strawberry pie. Will you behave while I'm gone?"_

 _Both Arthur and DW nodded._

 _David went into the kitchen. DW turned to Arthur. "When did you get back?"_

 _"A while ago," Arthur smiled._

 _"Let me guess, you came in the front door because you knew I'd wait for you?"_

 _"I considered the scenario plausible."_

 _"Real clever, Artie," DW tried to sound but the anger on her face was evident. "I'll bet your proud of yourself."_

 _"You bet," Arthur admitted bluntly, "You always get away with everything, so it's nice to turn the tables."_

 _"Today was an exception, Artie," DW sneered. "You won't get away with this again."_


	8. Chapter 8

"So, Ratburn, you were having an affair with Crosswire's wife?"

"It was a _relationship_ , not a silly fling," Ratburn admonished, "but it was outside her marital bounds, yes. Not that Crosswire respects _his_ marital bounds at all - the man is a serial adulterer. He also abuses his wife psychically. Hits Millicent when nobody is around."

"How do you know this?"

"Millicent told me. And yes, I do believe her. Her sincere eyes, her hands shaking in fear, and the break in her voice was stronger than any lie detector test. The man is a monster and must be stopped."

"When did this start?"

"Two or so years ago. We meet at a school function and hit it off. Soon we meet regularly and one thing lead to another. I proposed to her, and when she accepted we devised a murder plan. We would have Crosswire killed while faking our deaths and plant fake evidence to frame David Read, the father of a former student of mine. We would then run away to Miami under false names and get married."

"You said Read? As in the house fire?"

Ratburn nodded. "Yes, little Dora Winfred's arson completely blew the plan apart. Apparently, Millicent decided to cut her losses by turning me in."

"And now you want revenge on her so your spilling everything?" The officer asked in unmasked disgust.

Ratburn glared. "On her? _Never_. Yes, it hurts she turned on me, but I forgive her. I must. But Crosswire I want taken out. If Millicent goes to jail she'll be free from his abuse, and he'll likely be arrested for domestic violence."

"Why did you choose Read to frame? Old enemy?"

Ratburn shrugged. "It was nothing personal. Actually, I quite liked David even if he was somewhat negligent toward his daughter's misbehavior. But we needed someone who was a business client but not too high up, and he fit the bill."

The officer sighed. "I don't believe any of this."

"Believe me, I wouldn't have believed myself capable of these acts either," Ratburn agreed, "but, well... what can I say? Love is strange."

"Your going to be in prison for years."

"I know that," Ratburn grimaced. "But it was worth it."

* * *

DW cringed as she listened to the sound of the crazy girl screaming from the other room. _I can't believe they threw me in here with all these nuts_ , she thought bitterly. It had been only a week according to her calendar, but it felt like years to DW.

"You shouldn't be judging them, DW," DW jumped before she realized that it was Nadine speaking, "You are much worse off then they are."

"So, you came back after all," DW said triumphantly.

"Don't flatter yourself, DW," Nadine's voice was harsh. "I meant it when I said I'm out of here. This is just a final warning before I leave."

"What warning? Okay, okay, I shouldn't have burned the house down. Happy now?"

"I'm glad you realize that much DW, but you still don't understand the full effect of your actions. You keep hurting people without caring at all. And even now you just think it's a few wrong moves but it's more than that."

"I made a mistake, okay? That doesn't mean I deserve this."

"DW, if you were older you would be in a prison for what you did. Your actions are the result of your bad behavior. It was bad enough when you broke Arthur's plane, but then you knocked over Kate's high chair while she was sitting in it -"

"That one was an accident!" DW protested.

"Maybe, but it _wasn't_ an accident when you behaved horribly at Lisa's fifth birthday party."

"That was her fault" DW argued.

"And _then_ you smashed Brain's science project because you thought it was ugly," Nadine continued.

"Well, it was."

"That's not the point, DW! And then you made Tommy go deaf. That's when I started telling you to improve but you didn't listen. You keep acting out, and it ended up leading to the fire."

"How was I supposed to know the house would burn out of control?"

"I don't want that excuse, DW," Nadine said coldly. "I was with you, remember? You said out loud the fire was a punishment for not seeing the Italy special of _Mary Moo Cow_. Was it worth it?"

"Nadine, when am I going to get out of here?" DW asked hopelessly.

"That's actually what I came to talk to you about. At this point, you have destroyed your entire life and you'll never go back to how things were. You only have one chance to rebuild it, so you better take it."

"How?"

"Group therapy," Nadine said. "Dr. Paula is going to offer you a second chance. You and several other people in the world have a condition known as narcissism. Dr. Paula; and several of your fellow patients; are going to try and help both you and themselves. You would do well to cooperate in those sessions."

"I don't have a condition," DW insisted.

"Yes you do. This is your only chance left so don't blow it. The first session is tomorrow, so behave and let Dr. Paula help you."

DW said nothing.

"Well, I've had my two cents," Nadine said, "Goodbye, DW. It was nice knowing you - at first."

"Please don't leave, Nadine," DW begged, "I'll behave with Dr. Paula, I promise! I'll fix everything!"

"Fix everything?" Nadine's turned around. "DW, you will never, ever, _ever_ fix this. You can't, because a woman is _**dead**_ because of what you did and you will have to live with that fact for eternity."

"I didn't know Grandma Thora would get burned!" DW sobbed, wiping tears from her face.

"You should have. But now you can't bring her back, and you can't fix your family. All you can do is listen to Dr. Paula."

"Nadine, your all I have left!" DW pleaded.

"That's why I need to go, DW. You crossed the line, and while I believe you deserve a second chance, it won't be coming from me. Only when you hit rock bottom will you finally be capable of rebuilding yourself."

"I am at rock bottom, Nadine! Help me!"

"No, you aren't quite there yet, DW," Nadine explained. "You are very close, but I'm the net keeping you from fully going down. Well, it's time for you to fall, DW, so I'm leaving this town."

"Where would you even go?" DW asked.

"Good question. But you won't ever have an answer. Listen to Dr. Paula if there is any good left in you, DW."

And with that Nadine walked out, never to return.

* * *

Arthur nervously walked into his new school. _What if everyone is terrible? Maybe I can pretend I'm sick_ , he thought.

"Hello, there," said a kid who looked about ten by the door. "I'm Bill. You must be Arthur."

"Yes, hi," Arthur said. For some reason he reminded Arthur of somebody. "How do you know who I am?"

"Oh, I know everything from my cousin. I think you know him - George Lundgren."

"Your related to George?" Arthur asked in surprise. _So that's why he looked so familiar_.

"Yep. He's a good ventriloquist, isn't he? Anyway, welcome to West Falls."

"Thanks," Arthur said. "My cousin Mo said this is a good school."

Bill frowned. "How old is your cousin Mo?"

"About seventeen," Arthur responded, "why?"

"Well, I've been in this school since I was five, and I can tell you it certainly isn't a good school. That's actually why I'm here - so you have protection."

"Protection?" Arthur was confused. "From what?"

"Gangs, drug dealers, fight clubs, Mr. King."

"Mr. King?"

"Mr. King is our school's soccer coach," Bill explained, "and he's also a... well, he just say really likes kids. A little _too_ much."

"I don't believe this," Arthur said in disgust, getting what Bill was hinting at.

"I'm in the wrestling team, so nobody will hurt you as long as you stick with me. But this school is pretty harsh."

"Why do the adults let it stay that way?"

Bill laughed. "Oh, the adults in this town make the school look like sunshine. Don't you know who runs this town?"

"No."

"The mafia."

"The mafia?" Arthur repeated in shock.

Bill nodded. "Every last industry."

"But does - would that mean my aunt and uncle are secretly mobsters?"

"Yeah, probably," Bill responded. "Nobody in West Falls is truly innocent."


	9. Chapter 9

"Mo, why didn't you tell me that the school was how it really was?" Arthur asked angrily.

Mo looked up from the smoothie she was making. "Sorry, Arthur, but what could I say? That our town is full of drugs and organized crime? You would have flipped out and refused to attend school."

"That school had some of the scariest looking kids ever!"

"Well, if you lasted your first day, you'll be fine in the future," Mo assured him, "Just stay away from Mr. King."

"Bill already told me about him," Arthur said.

"Good."

'Mo, are Ben and Loretta mobsters?"

Mo didn't respond and placed the lid on the blender.

"Mo? Are they?" Arthur demanded loudly.

Mo sighed. "Look, Arthur, I'm not exactly proud of this, okay? Several years ago they announced we were moving to West Falls and that they had new jobs. They didn't say what it was or why it required a move, but I figured it out pretty soon. As time goes on, you'll begin noticing they often come home very late and disappear in the middle of the night. A few times you'll probably see cuts, bruises, and even blood. You are not supposed to acknowledge this out loud, even though everyone knows and they know that everyone knows. It's just one of those things.'

"I can't believe it," Arthur said softly, "It doesn't make sense. They never seemed that way before."

"Trust me, I didn't believe it myself when I found out. I was horrified that I apparently didn't know them at all. But it is what it is."

"What exactly do they do, Mo?" Arthur couldn't help but ask.

"Like I said, Arthur, we act like nobody knows the truth even though we all know everybody does. So I can't say for certain, and honestly I would rather not find out."

"Can I trust anyone?" Arthur inquired in a tone of dread.

"You can trust me," Arthur," Mo replied sincerely, "though I wouldn't recommend you trust anyone else. Be careful with your friend Bill."

"How do you stand it?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, I can't," Mo admitted. "I'm always on the verge of a breakdown. One of these days I'll explode."

* * *

Sue Ellen was late to class. Fortunately, it appeared that so was the substitute teacher, judging by the empty desk at the front.

"Hey, Sue Ellen?" Francine called. "Did you hear the news?"

Sue Ellen shrugged. "Our substitute teacher didn't show?"

"What? No, they didn't, but not what I meant," Francine was visibly excited. "Muffy's parents went to jail!"

"What?" Sue Ellen scanned the room and noticed Muffy was gone. "Is that why she's gone?"

"I guess," Francine responded.

"Why?" Sue Ellen asked.

"The full reasons for the arrest haven't been released yet," Brain explained, "but according to TV 12 anchor Patty Jones, the rumor is Muffy's mother shared a lot of dirt with police. _Every_ Crosswire except Muffy has been arrested, including her distant relatives. Sounds like that family had a deep criminal history."

"It's weird, isn't it?" Buster asked. "First Arthur's house burns down, then Ratburn is jailed, and now the Crosswires are in jail."

"It doesn't make sense," Sue Ellen muttered.

"I wonder who will be next?" Binky asked in a panicked tone.

"Can you imagine the Crosswires in the slammer?" Francine's smiled, "I bet they can't last a hour without their butler. Ha ha."

"Francine, why are you so happy about this of all people?" Fern demanded, "Your closer than anyone to Muffy!"

"True, but I never liked her stuck-up parents," Francine answered, "besides, Muffy will be fine. She has all that Crosswire cash to fall back on."

"Money doesn't make up for lack of family," Fern argued.

Mr. Haney walked in. "Okay, stop chatting. It turns out our substitute teacher has been arrested for DUI, so I will be your substitute until we can get a new substitute."

The class groaned.

* * *

"Get the ball, Pal," Timmy Tibble called before tossing it across the yard. Pal eagerly raced across the yard and caught the ball. Timmy was glad that Pal now lived in the Tibble household because he didn't have anyone else to spend time with. His grandmother was still working on paperwork over her stolen identity, while Tommy spent a lot of tine with his sign language teacher.

Not that Timmy really did anything with Tommy even after the teacher left. How could he? Tommy couldn't hear a thing and that made it impossible to communicate. The few times Timmy had tried to interact with him despite his deafness had failed miserably. He had pretty much given up at this point.

Looking back, Timmy had to admit to himself that he hadn't really been a good brother. He had bossed Tommy around all the time and hurt him several times. He had never cared about these actions, but now that Tommy was deaf Timmy felt guilty.

Pal was back with the ball. "Good boy, Pal," Timmy said. "Why don't we go visit Tommy?"

Pal followed Timmy into the house and they found Tommy in the living room sitting glumly on the floor.

"Pal, go say hi to Tommy," Timmy ordered. Pal complied with the instruction.

"Hi, Pal," Tommy said in a strange voice as he pet the canine. Tommy had been talking strange ever since he lost his hearing, which Timmy was told is because he couldn't hear how his words sounded.

"Let's go outside with Pal!" Tommy suggested.

"Okay," Timmy said.

"Stop right there!" Mrs. Tibble called. "Do not let Tommy go outside!"

"Why not?" Timmy asked.

"Because he couldn't hear anything if an emergency happened, and I can't supervise you two with all the paperwork I must do."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Timmy asked in irritation.

"I don't care," Mrs. Tibble responded impatiently, "just keep him indoors."

* * *

Dr. Paula was calmly reading her DSM book's section on narcissism when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Dr. Paula said, knowing it was Mr. Larsen.

"The narcissism specialist you hired is in the waiting room on the lobby," Mr. Larsen informed her. "Is your group ready?"

Dr. Paula nodded. "I have found two other young narcissists. None of them have as severe a case as DW Read, though."

"I see," Mr. Larsen said. "This is your last chance to cancel the group session, Dr. Paula. Do you really wish to go forward?"

Dr. Paula nodded. "Yes."

"In that case, your needed downstairs."


	10. Chapter 10

D.W. listened closely to the radio in the hallway as she waited for Dr. Paula. Apparently, Muffy entire family had been arrested for a long list of crimes going back decades. D.W. had never really known the Crosswire's that well, but they were the only people on the news she vaguely recalled so far. She was trying to focus on something other than the harsh words Nadine had for her yesterday.

"D.W., it's time for your session," Dr. Paula called. "Please come in."

"Dr. Paula?" D.W. asked as she through the door.

"Yes, D.W., nice to meet you again," Dr. Paula said. "Allow me to introduce you Lerone and Vanessa."

Lerone and Vanessa looked at D.W. with unclear expressions. D.W. gave a nervous wave.

"Now, all three of you are here for the same reason. Do you know what that is?"

"Because we need therapy," Lerone responded with boredom.

"That's right," Dr. Paula said.

"Why do we need therapy when she's the one who burned her house down?" Vanessa asked bluntly.

"It was an accident!" DW protested.

Dr. Paula sighed. "D.W., I remind you that you have already confessed to starting the fire willfully on two occasions. It's important that we be truthful in these sessions."

DW gave no response.

"Anyway, I thought could begin with a series of inkblots," Dr. Paula said, pulling out a small series of card and showed one. "What is this in the picture."

"A bat," Lerone responded.

"A butterfly," Vanessa countered.

D.W. tried to think hard. "Um...both? Neither?"

Dr. Paula wrote their responses on her clipboard.

"Well, what is it?" D.W. demanded.

"There are no right or wrong answers," Dr. Paula explained. "How about this one?"

"Um, three groups of butterflies," D.W. answered.

Dr. Paula picked her clipboard again. D.W. was suspicious. _What is she writing down anyway?_

* * *

"May I take your order?" Jane cringed as the words exited her mouth.

"Yes, I want the Chicken Deluxe Meal," a man said into the intercom.

"Very well, that'll be fifteen dollars and eighty-eight cents at the window," Jane announced into her headset before walking over to the window. _Chicken Planet_ was a regional chain that specialized in fried chicken, and was one of the few jobs still around in this town. After seeing her father repeatedly ask when she had come home and struggle to remember what the current decade was, she instantly realized that her stay was going to be much longer than she had anticipated.

Which brought Jane to her new job. While _Chicken Planet_ wasn't the worst job she had ever had, it was a massive step down from being a self-employed accountant. Most of the customers were tolerable highway passersby, but a few obnoxious and morbidly obese regulars also existed. The worst customer of all was Samuel, who wasn't either fat or rude, but annoyingly keep coming close to asking her out on a date but not having the guts to outright do so. The pay was terrible. Her co-workers were either depressed ex-farmers or kids with no future.

Jane shoved the Chicken Deluxe Meal box into a bag. "Fifteen eighty-eight," she reminded him.

"Did you remember the potatoes?" The man asked as he coughed over the money.

Jane sighed as she handed him his meal. "Yes, I made sure that mashed potatoes were inside." Every customer who ordered the Chicken Deluxe Meal asked about the mashed potatoes. According to her boss, there had never been a case as far as he knew where someone forgot to add mashed potatoes, but people keep harping about it anyway.

He then drove off without a thank you. _Fat moron_ , Jane thought bitterly.

Once she got off work she would need to convince her Dad to see a doctor. That would be no easy task with such a proud man.

* * *

"Well, Ratburn," the officer said as he returned the interrogation room. "I have good news for you. Millicent Crosswire confirmed what you have told us is correct. You were right about the abuse and she admitted you were lovers."

"All is well, then," Ratburn replied simply.

"I also have discovered that both Crosswire's are demanding a divorce. I assume that pleases you?"

A blind man could see the pure joy shining on Ratburn's face.

"There's just one thing I don't understand. Why was Miami your chosen destination? Why not go oversees?"

"We love the beaches," Ratburn responded simply.

"There's a lot of beaches oversees. Or in other parts of the country - Hawaii, for instance. You could have used those fake ID's anywhere."

"We knew what we wanted. Is that bad?"

"Have you ever even been to Miami before?"

Ratburn glared at the officer. "Evidently, you feel that I am making a great omission in my story."

"Yes, Ratburn, I do," the officer replied bluntly, "when we interrogated Ed Crosswire, we found that Miami was a key center for smuggling operations the Crosswire's were heavily involved in."

"Had no idea," Ratburn claimed, "Judging by your smug tone, I'll gather Millicent confirmed that story?"

"Why so hostile, Ratburn? You were cooperating just fine until now. But yes, she did. And we now have documentation."

"Use it well, then," Ratburn responded coldly, "Ed Crosswire is vicious."

"Is it a crazy, theory, Ratburn, to suggest that the smuggling went much beyond Ed Crosswire?" The officer asked.

"It absolutely is crazy."

"Is it true?"

"Why would you think it is?"

"Because we notice drug operations in multiple cities all over the world seemingly unrelated yet all connected to Miami. Do you know what the DEA has theriorized?"

"Haven't a clue. What do they think?"

"They feel that rather than one big ring, as initially believed, there is a common airline pilot who uses Miami as a shipment center for multiple drug rings. As you and Millicent risked destroying the Crosswire operation by killing Ed, you clearly sought to either replace or make an alliance with this pilot."

Ratburn's expression was unfathomable. "Hmmm."

"Who is the pilot, Ratburn?"

Ratburn smiled darkly. "I would like to exercise my right to silence, please."

* * *

"I'm telling you, I would _know_ if I'm losing my mind!" Dave barked.

"Dad, please just go see a doctor," Jane begged, "Alzheimer's is nothing to be ashamed of."

"No way."

"Do you even know what month it is, Dad?" Jane challenged fiercely.

Dave stood in silence for a moment. "Jane, when your my age there is no difference."

"Dad, yesterday you forgot that I had been living with you for the past three weeks!"

"I was just... well, tired."

"You can't be tired if you want to keep the only farm left in town."

"That's low, Jane."

"I made the appointment. Are you going or should I cancel?"

Dave sighed. "Fine Jane, I'll go if you insist. But I just don't see it!"

"Sometimes, we just don't let ourselves see what's true," Jane responded softly, then felt her stomach sink as she realized how much these words applied to herself.


	11. Chapter 11

" _The Crosswire arrests continue to dominate political discussion in Elwood City_ ," TV-12's morning anchor announced, " _Several members of the city council have filed a request that the Justice Department investigate the mayor's well-known ties to the Crosswires. The mayor could not be reached for comment, but a spokesperson at his office strongly denied he had any knowledge_ -"

Bitzi was only half-listening to the news report as she made dinner. Meanwhile, Buster was upstairs speaking on the phone with Arthur.

"The _entire_ town is run by the Mafia?"

"Yes, Buster, pretty much the entire town. And judging by my school, it looks like they won't be running out of people in the future."

"I can't picture that at all."

"That's because your lucky."

"Maybe I am," Buster mused. "What does Mo think of her parents being mobsters?"

"She hates it, but she can't do anything about it any more than I can. Kate and us are stuck."

"Hmm. Do any of West Falls mobsters have anything to do with Elwood City?" Buster asked.

"Huh? I don't know. Why would they?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about the Crosswires and Mr. Ratburn. Who would have thought?"

"I can see the Crosswire's being criminals," Arthur responded, "but I still can't believe _Mr. Ratburn_ was one."

Back downstairs, Bitzi was watering the plants while dinner was cooking in the oven.

" _Authorities have revealed that an airline pilot using Miami as a destination center is believed to be crucial in the Crosswire ring_."

Bitzi's head shot up. Her full attention was now fixated on the TV screen.

"... _authorities believe this Miami-based pilot is extremely dangerous. If you have any information about the identity about who this pilot is, please call the number on the screen or send an e-mail to the address below. A ten thousand dollar reward has been issued for the name of this pilot_ -"

Bitzi turned the TV off and poured a glass water, hoping it would calm her nerves.

She knew a pilot who spent time in Miami.

* * *

"So, Muffy Crosswire, you state the record that you had absolutely no idea about your parent's true activities?"

"Nothing at all!" Muffy replied sincerely. "I was completely in the dark. Not even a hint. I can't believe it at all!"

"Did you notice anything suspicious at all?"

"No, I swear!"

The stenographer noted Muffy's reply while the judge sighed. "Miss Crosswire, I'm not going to lie. Your in for a lot of pain."

Muffy gulped anxiously. "What do you mean, Your Honor?"

"Your the daughter of multinational drug smugglers, Miss Crosswire. What do you think that implies?"

Muffy froze. "Are you saying that there are people who want to hurt me?"

"Or recruit you. In light of this, I heavily recommend that you enter the witness protection program."

"You mean I would pretend to be somebody else?"

The judge shook her head no. "No, Muffy. You would _become_ somebody else."

* * *

David felt a nervous pit as he drove passed the sign saying **Elwood City 4 miles**. It was his second time back since the fire. Having grown bored of his self-loathing apathy, he was ready to do something he had long dreamed about.

Elwood Culinary Academy.

It was lead by Chef Aline Deem Kamman, one of the most acclaimed chefs on earth. David had driven by the academy for years wondering what it would it be like to be taught by none other than Chef Kamman, and know he would find out.

David parked his car outside and approached the door eagerly. When he entered the building, his breath was taken away. He had never seen such a perfect set of ovens, kitchen tools, and ingredients.

"Hello, everyone," a woman who David recognized instantly called. "I am Chef Kamman. Welcome to my fine academy. Let's go over some basic ground rules."

David listened obsessively.

"First of all, this is a place of intense talent and competition. I have tasted dishes from my students that were pure art. I have also seen dishes that made me want to run screaming to a gas station bathroom. I don't even remember mediocre dishes - what is there worth remembering? Only the brightest cooks shine here. Do you wish to join the greatest?"

David certainly wish just that.

"Today, you will have the first chance to prove yourself. Your first assignment is creating a unique dessert. You have ninety minutes. Go!"

David pondered deeply while his classmates were frantically rushing for ingredients. He had made several unique desserts. But which one would be good enough for Chef Kamman?

* * *

Arthur glumly walked through the halls of West Falls Educational Building ( _What a bland name for a school_ , Arthur thought). He heard some yelling, and caught a glimpse of someone pulling a knife, but didn't think much of it. It wasn't the first time this had happened.

Arthur finally reached the library. It wasn't much of a library - only a third of so of the bookshelves actually had books- and the lazy librarian, Beatrice, loudly watched soap operas on a small TV while eating popcorn. The library constantly smelled like popcorn; which made him unbelievably hungry; yet Bill had warned him he should never under any circumstances ask Beatrice to share her popcorn.

Arthur was reading Ed Crosswire's autobiography from two years ago. He had picked it up out of morbid curiosity, wondering why it was even in the school library. He had quickly found the book - made up of pure lies - was actually comedy gold. He struggled to contain his laughter multiple times while reading.

He didn't bother checking out books to take home. Beatrice always blamed other people for her getting popcorn butter on the books, and she also frequently entered the computer codes wrong. He had never missed the Elwood City Library more. Still, at least he could read and keep away from the young mobsters. A few other kids were regularly there as well. Arthur noticed that, unlike most of his classmates, none of them seemed to be involved in gangs.

He hoped that they had a better future than West Falls.


End file.
